The man accused of stabbing Coventry teenager Daniel Kirkwood says he got involved in a fatal nightclub brawl as he wanted to “get his own back” after being punched unconscious, a court has heard.

Tobijah Thompson admitted he was “angry” after being punched in the face at the start of the confrontation inside Society nightclub that eventually led to the 18-year-old’s death.

However, he denies killing Daniel – who suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck inside the nightclub in March last year - and stabbing two of his friends.

Thompson, 25, is standing trial at Warwick Crown Court having pleaded not guilty to murder and five other charges including two of wounding with intent, assault causing actual bodily harm, violent disorder and possessing a knife in the nightclub.

He is standing trial alongside four others – Hasham Ali, Zaker Khan, Ramez Murtaza and Ezra Scott, all from Birmingham.

The incident at Society, in Tower Street, which claimed Daniel’s life and left two of his friends – Niall Kavanagh and Nigel Mkhwananzi - with stab wounds, was said to have started when Ali became involved in a confrontation with another of Daniel’s friends, Christopher O’Brien.

Thompson, who previously lived in Birmingham but was arrested in Towpath Close, Bedworth, also told the court he did not cause “serious harm” to Mr Kavanagh or Mr Mkhwananzi.

During cross-examination by prosecutor Michael Burrows QC, Thompson was asked if he felt “disrespected” after being felled by a punch to the face at the start of the incident in the early hours of March 15, 2015.

Thompson replied: “It’s a bit more than disrespect.”

“Did you want to get revenge in some sort of way?” questioned Mr Burrows.

Thompson also admitted that there were no lawful excuse for the flying kick on Daniel and accepted he has no defence for the charge of violent disorder.

Mr Borelli asks Thompson: “Did you know Daniel had been stabbed in the neck at that point?”

“No,” said Thompson.

Khan, 25, of Belcher’s Lane, Small Heath, was acquitted of murder and the two wounding charges last week by the direction of the judge, Mr Justice Mark Warby.

He does, however, still face the charges of assault and violent disorder.

The three other defendants - Ali, 19, of Amberley Green, Great Barr; Scott, 32, of Hawksyard Road, Erdington; and Murtaza, 21, of Bordesley Green East, Bordesley Green – last week changed their pleas on the charges of violent disorder to guilty.

Mr Justice Warby, after telling the jury of the pleas, then directed that the jury have also been discharged of returning verdicts on those three defendants on the charges of murder and wounding Mr Mkhwananzi and Mr Kavanagh.

The jury were also discharged from returning a verdict on the assault charge for Ali and Scott.